Offaly 1-21 Wexford 0-22
A terrific individual display from Man of the Match Adam Screeney, a beaten All-Ireland minor finalist last year, elevated Offaly to a dramatic 1-21 to 0-22 Leinster U-20 final success against Wexford.
The Kilcormac-Killoughey man helped himself to 1-12 on the evening and his 42nd-minute goal ultimately separated the sides in a nail-biting encounter that went all the way in front of a capacity crowd in Carlow.
Screeney's heroics, having missed the semi-final following a knock in the win over Galway, helped Offaly to claim just their sixth provincial title at the grade and they will meet Cork in the All-Ireland final on May 27.
Faithful supporters flooded onto the pitch after the two-point success which was all the more impressive following captain Charlie Mitchell's 37th-minute red card.
The sides were level five times in a frantic second half and remained deadlocked entering stoppage time but late Offaly scores from Dan Ravenhill and Screeney tipped the balance their way.
It was a crushing defeat for Wexford who bounced back from early defeats in the Championship to Dublin and Galway by reaching the decider with a landmark semi-final defeat of Kilkenny.
Screeney, one of six players in the Offaly team that started last year's All-Ireland minor final loss to Tipperary, lit up an already entertaining opening half with several thrilling cameos.
One of six Kilcormac-Killoughey players on the team, free-taker Screeney struck seven points in the half though it was his two from play in the fourth and 30th minutes that drew gasps in the crowd.
For the first of those, Screeney somehow got a shot away despite the attentions of a couple of Wexford defenders on the right wing which split the posts.
The second was even more audacious as Screeney took on another two Offaly defenders close to the right sideline, tossed the ball ahead of him and sped forward to collect it again before sniping a point from the most acute of angles.
Offaly had initially opened up a 0-04 to 0-01 lead after a terrific start full of dynamism and craft. Mitchell and Cathal King were also among the scorers during that early blitz.
But Wexford were back on level terms at 0-05 apiece by the 13th minute as their top scorer Cian Byrne, excellent on the frees and in open play throughout, came storming into the game.
Wexford had a spare defender in Simon Roche due to Offaly's decision to allow Dan Bourke, wearing number, to drop out as an extra man in the engine room.
Keith Rossiter's side took the lead for the first time in the 15th minute when Byrne struck his fourth score of the evening, 0-06 to 0-05.
They would be level on three more occasions but it was Offaly that finished the half strongest with three points in a row from Bourke and Screeney, two.
That 0-11 to 0-09 half-time advantage to Offaly, and the positive vibes generated by that memorable stoppage time Screeney score, were wiped out almost immediately after the restart when Wexford registered points from Sean Rowley and Byrne.
Offaly regained the lead thanks to a couple of Screeney scores but the 37th minute Mitchell dismissal - the Kilcormac Killoughey man picked up his second booking for an incident that left full-back Eoin Whelan grounded - threatened to rock the Faithful.
They refused to relent though and a brilliant closing 20 minutes or so played out with both sides swapping scores in tit-for-tat fashion.
Subs Dylan Purcell, JJ Twamley and Oisin Pepper all had an impact for Wexford but Offaly had saved a kick for the last lap of a fascinating contest and crossed the winning line with those late scores from Screeney and Ravenhill.
Offaly: Mark Troy; Patrick Taaffe, James Mahon, Brecon Kavanagh; Luke Watkins, Sam Bourke, Ter Guinan; Colin Spain, Cathal King (0-01); Cormac Egan, Dan Ravenhill (0-03, 0-01f), Conor Doyle (0-02); Adam Screeney (1-12, 0-08f, 0-01 65), Charlie Mitchell (0-01), Dan Bourke (0-02).
Subs: Barry Egan for King (56).
Wexford: Derry Mahon; Simon Roche, Eoin Whelan, Darragh Kehoe; Conor Foley, Darragh Carley (0-01), Michael Dundon; Sean Rowley (0-01), Conor Murphy; Shamey O'Hagan, Corey Byrne Dunbar (0-01), Jack Redmond; Cian Byrne (0-14, 10f), Luke Murphy (0-01), Cillian Byrne (0-02).
Subs: Dylan Purcell (0-01) for Murphy 22, JJ Twamley (0-01) for Redmond (ht), Darragh Farrell for Dundon (49), Oisin Pepper for Murphy (57).
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
